MIIS students Jennifer Grode (MATESOL ’11) and Courtney Pahl (MATESOL ’11) did not expect to spend the fall semester planning a major event on campus, but when an emergency search for a new location brought the CATESOL conference to Monterey, they jumped at the opportunity. As Jennifer reflects: “Given that both of us are pursuing the Language Program Administration Certificate, it has helped us see the big picture and small details at the same time.”

The theme of the conference, “Changing Tides: Transformative Teaching and Learning” suited Monterey particularly well as it reflected both the ocean side setting and the constantly changing landscape of language teaching. As the conference co-chairs put it: “We wanted to express not only the hardships of the field such as budget cuts and new reforms, but also the idea of doing more with less, of adapting to new contexts. We’ve also built relationships with our committee members and delegated responsibilities, essential skills for our careers as administrators and educators.”